Combat tips for fighting dual wielders?

[Yarginshnarg]

Hey all! I’ve been having some trouble lately with my fighting style and was wondering if any of ya could help me out? There have been quite a few people picking up dual wielding in my saber group, and while I want to learn it eventually, I’m not exactly good enough to move onto using two sabers yet. Right now I’m using an initiate v4 with a 32 inch blade. I generally use two hands on it for the added control, but my speed is lowered and when I block one saber from a dual wielder they get me with the other one.

Any tips on improving speed or maneuverablility or just general combat tips would be much appreciated!

[kaanapuchris]

To combat dual weilders force them to cross their sabers by circling Around them.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[Illyiss]

Stay mobile, minimize their opportunities to use both blades at once.  In boffer fighting, stabs are the most effective way to dispatch  florentine fighters, but a lot of saber combat doesn't allow it for safety.  Get them to attack cross body, tie that blade up, step towards the side they attacked from, and dispatch them.

[Musashi Padawan]

Footwork, footwork, footwork! Constantly change the “center line” to your advantage. Patience. Wait for marks of opportunity.

[Darth Logos]

I recommend practicing single hand technique for each hand. This way you get started not favoring one hand over the other. Another tried and true: practice with 2.

I would also ask how tall you are. I'm 6'1" and use 32s for dual-ing and staffing. 32s may be too long for you. If so, no shame in trimming back to 24s, or modding them to a custom length that works best for you.

I actually utilized a quick-connect coupler in a duel, not too long ago, and my opponent (using a staff) admitted that the maneuver totally threw her off. However, if dual-ing is not a current option, I concur with Illyiss, stay mobile. But also utilize the fact that you have the option of two arms to one blade. The increase in blades can become a liability due to the added weight of a second saber. So where your opponent may have the advantage in attack speed and quantity, you have strength in reserve, allowing you to throw deflected attacks off further. (If that makes sense.)

[Illyiss]

Darth Logos has a point about going shorter not being bad.  As a training aid, we used to go to super short boffers (16-22 inches overall) that teach you precision in blocks, footwork, and breaking any fear of getting really close, but the thing is, once you get good with them, sometimes you find that sticking with the super shorts works better for you.

[kaanapuchris]

Do any of your opponents hold one saber in a reverse grip? Cause if so that’s their shatter point


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[Landen Se-Sentien]

Do you all allow non lethal hits to count. Some groups say that if a hand or arm gets hit, then the fight must continue with that person unable to use that hand/arm.

If that's the case, aim for a hand to bring them down to one saber.

[wandering-seeker]

To add to what everyone else has said, I would advise getting in close. When fighting a dual wielder, my instructors taught me that the best thing to do if they're good enough with footwork to keep you in front of them, is to get too far inside the golden zone for them to bring their blades to bear.

[Illyiss]

To add to what everyone else has said, I would advise getting in close. When fighting a dual wielder, my instructors taught me that the best thing to do if they're good enough with footwork to keep you in front of them, is to get too far inside the golden zone for them to bring their blades to bear.

Just make sure you can be effective in that close yourself...

[Master Althalus]

It depends on how they move. Are they turning their front towards you? Then got through the middle - especially from below. While cross-parries are really good, most people don't recognize threats from below when concentrating on two weapons to wield. Go for their lower arms.
Are they turning sideways, presenting a smaller target? Try playing with distance, letting attacks pass and attacking behind the attack, keeping one of their weapons in the way of the other.

And the golden rule for one weapon against two: Keep them under pressure. Two weapons require the brain to work at top speed - push them by constant motion, attacking and retreating, playing with distance and feinting. And when they begin to get tired (brainwise), launch a relentless attack until they break.

[Yarginshnarg]

Thank you all for the awesome tips, I got way more responses than I had hoped for! To try to answer questions and provide more info, I’m 5 foot 10 inches. I’ve dabbled with a blade I cut to be about 30 inches and that worked interestingly. Hit zones are upper arms (elbow up), upper legs (knee up), and anywhere torso.
I think what I’m getting out of this for the most part is that I need to move around much more when I fight. My fighting style has generally been wait for someone to come to me and then work around them (if that makes sense). I don’t really move much if I don’t need to, but it sounds like it would be a good idea to keep others on their toes as well.

[Show540]

Unexperienced in any form of saber combat or fencing - i have had some short term training in a few combat sports, muay tai, general American boxing, etc and the key to almost any fighting style is always taught to be footwork. Everything everyone has said seems to be great advice - constant footwork will make you harder to hit and will open up new angles from which you could strike - angles you couldnt hit from a stationery stance. Hope this helps in any form

[Illyiss]

In the words of a wise master, "Be like water."

[Master Nero Attoru]

In my experience, using two weapons is not something that can be done casually.  To actually be effective with two weapons, one needs extensive training, and typically a mastery of the single weapon.  However, I can see how it often overwhelms newcomers, even if the practitioner isn't experienced.

In the case of an untrained swordsman with two weapons, the blades typically won't be used efficiently.  The prime advantage of two weapons is the ability to defend and attack simultaneously, which is far more multitasking than most humans are prepared to deal with by default.  Therefore, new users often seem to use their blades one after the other, which gives you more time to adjust and defend.  Additionally, if they rely too heavily on their bladework, which is also common, you can compensate with good footwork.  Maneuver around them to either side, and you're essentially reducing their advantage by engaging one weapon at a time.